Valve for blowing-engines and air-compressors.



No. 756,888. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904.

A. K. MANSFIELD. VALVE FOR BLOWING ENGINES AND AIR GOMPRESSORS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 5. 1903. N

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PATENTED APR. 12, 1904. A'. K. MANSFIELD. VALVE FOR BLOWING ENGINES ANDAIR GOMPRBSSORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5. 1903.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT K. MANSFIELD, OF SALEM, OHIO.

VALVE FOR BLOWING-ENGINES AND AlR-COMPRESSORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,868, dated April12, 1904.

Application filed January 5, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT K. MANSFIELD, of Salem, Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Valves for Blowing-Engines andAir-Compressors, which invention is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

My invention relates to blowingengines and air-compressors, and moreparticularly to the valve mechanism for controlling the inlet and outletof air thereto and therefrom. In engines of this character it is verydesirable that the parts or openings should be of ample size to permitthe free and rapid entrance of the air to and its egress from thecylinder of the engine during the quick reciprocations of the piston inthe cylinder. Moreover, in this, as in all other mechanical structures,minimum cost, cheapness, simplicity of construction and operation,durability and facility of assembling and disassembling for cleaning,inspection, and repairs are matters of much importance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valve mechanism forblowing-engines and the like which shall comply with these conditions;and with this object in view the invention consists of the cylinder ofsuch an engine having a plurality of inlet-ports lead ing from theexternal atmosphere to the cylinder and a plurality of ports leadingfrom the cylinder to the conduit for conducting the air to the place ofuse or storage, which ports are controlled by flat blade-springs ofelastic sheet metal secured at one end, while the other end is free tovibrate to open and close the ports, suitable stops being provided tolimit the opening movements of the spring-blade. For the purpose ofaifording a large number of portopenings, both for the inlet and outletof the air, I prefer to mount a series of inlet and outlet cages uponthe cylinder-head, in the walls of which cages the ports are formed, theported walls of the cages being prolonged or extended at one end beyondthe ends of the ports and of the cage proper, so that they constituteported valve-attaching frames on which valves controlling the ports aremounted.

There are other specific features of improvement which will be morefully hereinafter described and then defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which rep- Serial No. 137,958. (No model.)

resent an embodiment of my inventive idea, Figure 1 is a side elevationof the cylinder of a blowing-engine with the inlet and outlet cagesmounted thereon. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, of theinlet-cage,

with the valves in position, and Fig. 3 is a like view of theoutlet-cage. Fig. 4: is a broken side elevation of the outlet-cage withsome of the parts removed. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line5 5, Fig. 4, and Fig.- 6 is a sectional detail showing the form of theValveseat on an enlarged scale.

Referring to thedrawings, in which like reference-numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, 1 is a cylinder of ablowing-engine, and 2 is an inlet-cage or superstructure mounted thereonand provided with a plurality of ports 3, here shown as eight in number,in free communication with the external atmosphere, while the cage isopen at its bottom, as shown at 4, Fig. 2, and in'direct communicationwith the interior of the cylinder 1. For convenience of constructionthis cage is preferably made in two longitudinal sections securedtogether by bolts 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Within the cage 2 ismounted a filler-block 6, designed to occupy a large portion of thespace within the cage 2, for a purpose which will hereinafter beexplained. This filler-block is preferably a casting conforming ingeneral outline to the interior shape of the cage and is of such widthas to leave ample space for the play of the valves and the passage ofthe air between its sides and the interior faces of the cage.

The outlet-cage 7, Fig. 3 and dotted lines, Fig. 1, is also mounted onthe cylinder-head and in free communication with the interior of thecylinder through the bottom of the cage at 8, Fig. 3, and is providedwith a plurality of ports 9. This outlet-cage 7 is preferably formed ofa single casting and is inclosed or covered by a casing 10, closed tothe external atmosphere, but open to a pipe or conduit 11, which servesto conduct the air from the blowing-engine to the point of use orstorage. In-

stead of a filler-block such as is employed in connection with theinlet-cage 2 a transverse partition 12, Fig. 4, is preferably placedacross the interior of the outlet-cage 7 thereby materially reducing thespace within the cage and securing both to the frame of the cage. The

which is in communication with the interior of the cylinder 1.

The ports 3 and 9 in the two cages are alike except that the valve-seatsof the inlet-cage 2 are on the inside, whereas on the outlet-cage 7 theyare on the outside, the ports in each case preferably flaring toward thedirection fromwhieh the air comes when the blower is in operation. Asclearly shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, the ports 2 and 9 are in the form oflong narrow slots, surrounded by a raised lip or ridge 13, slightlyconvex on its upper surface to forma seat for the valve. These ports areformed in the side walls of the cage,which walls extend out beyond theends of the ports and form valve-carrying frames or plates havingthevalves 14: attached thereto. The valves 14: for all the ports areexactly alike and consist of simple strips of elastic sheet metalsecured at one end to the frame of the cage bya lug or bolt 15, Figs. 4and 5, which bolt also passes through one end of a keeper or stop 16,which limits the play of the free end of the valve 14. As shown in Fig.5, the bolt 15 serves to secure the valve 14 and the stop 16 tightlyagainst the frame of the cage,while the opposite end of the valve isfree to vibrate and the corresponding end of the stop 16 is raised asuitable distance above the valve by resting on a block 17, a bolt 18passing through the stop and block particular valve shown in Fig. 5 isone mounted on the outside of the outlet-cage and opens outward. Theconstruction of valves for the inlet-cage is the same as that shown inFig. 5 and the mounting and operation are the same except that the valveis mounted on the inside and plays or opens inward against the stop orkeeper. For the purpose of preventing any tendency of the valve to stickor cling to the stop by reason of air-pressure holding it against thestop openings or holes 19 are formed through the stop or keeper, asshown in Fig. 4, so that air may reach the top of the valve 14: throughthe holes or'openings 19 and facilitate the ready separation of thevalve from the stop or keeper as it starts on its closing movement.

The valve-seat is best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and, as before stated, isin the form of a ridge or lip 13, whose bearing-surface 20 is convex, sothat the valve bears upon the ridge at a tangent to the convex surface.By inspecting Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen that the port is not shownas long as the valve. It might be of about the same length, but thatportion adjoining the end where the-valve is secured to the cage-framewould permit so little air to pass when the valve is fully open that theport is preferably made about the length shown. Moreover, apartition orbridge 21 is preferably employed about midway of the ports length,though this may be omitted, if desired. By using the cages as shown I amenabled is because it is desirable to reduce such clear ance-space to aminimum that I have introduced the filler-block into the inlet-cage andthe partition 12 into the outlet-cage for this purpose. The valves 14:and stops 16 are readily cut from sheet or bar metal. The cages aresimple castings, and the parts are all quickly assembled anddisassembled, so that inspection and repairs can be readily and quicklymade.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of anelongated elastic metal valve-strip fixed at one end and free at theother, with a port bounded by a raised rib having a curved surfaceafiording line-contact with the valve-strip, and a complemental stop orkeeper substantially coincident with said valve-strip and fixed at bothends.

2. In a blower or compressor, the combination of an elongatedelastic-metal valve-strip fixed at one end and free at the other, with aport bounded by a raised rib having acurved surface affordinglinecontact with said valvestrip.

3. In combination with an elastic-metal strip constituting a valve andits spring, the rounded contact-rib to produce approximate linecontact,and the keeper to restrict the movement of the valve.

4. In a valve for blowers and compressors, the combination of anelongated elastic-metal valve-strip fixed at one end and free at theother, a complemental stop or keeper substantially coincident therewithfixed at both ends, and fasteningmeans common to both valve and stop atone end.

5. In a blower or compressor, a compartment provided with ports havingvalve-seats consisting of raised ribs having curved surfaces afi'ordingline-contact, in combination with elongated elastic-metal valve-stripscovering the ports, stops substantially coincident with thevalve-strips, fastening means common to a valve-strip and itscomplemental stop for attaching both fixedly at one end to the cage, andfastening means for the stop only,

at the opposite end, whereby a line-contact with the valves and theirseats is secured.

6. In a blower or compressor, a ported compartment, in combination withelongated elastic-metal valve-strips covering the ports, stopssubstantially coincident with the valve-strips, fastening means commonto a valve-strip and its complemental stop for attaching both fixedly atone end to the cage, and fastening means for the stop only, at theopposite end.

A cage for a blower or compressor having a ported Wall, and an extensionof said wall beyond the limits of the cage, in combination with anelongated valve fixed at the outer end of said extension and coveringthe port in the Wall.

A cage for a blower or compressor having ported Walls, and an extensionof said ported Walls beyond the confines of the cage, in combinationwith elastic elongated valvestrips rigidly secured at the outer end ofsaid extension and covering the ports in said Walls.

9. A cage for blowers or compressors hav- I5 ing ported convergingWalls,extensions ofsaid ported converging Walls continuing beyond theconfines of the cage, in combination With elastic elongated valve-stripsrigidly secured atthe outer end of said extensions and cover- 20 ing theports in the Walls.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT K. MANSFIELD. Witnesses:

ARTHUR' M. TRACY, HARRY E. STOVER.

